47 replies to this topic

[darling_]

hellllllo all!

the name's darling (well, online username! ) and here's my ACCUTANE log!

skin history / personal history -- 22-year old asian female, 5'6 and around 120-125 lbs (haven't gotten my dosage yet, probably 40-60 mgs/day?). just moved to the NYC area and started working after graduating from college! my skin has always been awful ever since high school, but only recently this year after coming back from London it literally EXPLODED. i dunno, maybe the UK has hard water or something / pollution (although i'm pretty sure NYC has worse pollution and my skin is always better here?!)

anyhoo, i'm left with a lot of marks and i want to finally get the flawless skin that everyone around me seems to have! my acne consists of MILLIONS of closed comedones (seriously. i think. every. freaking. pore has a whitehead), painful underground cystic acne, especially on my jawline AND whiteheads and blackheads galore!!! oh BTW, my skin is also an OIL SLICK. like literally sometimes i imagine frying eggs on it (lol jk) after i wash my face oil will start SEEPING THROUGH AGAIN like five minutes later. i am (sadly) not even joking.

i'll post pics after I start accutane (need to get my bloodwork done this week and visit a gyno to get on BCP!)

Edited by darling_, 09 February 2012 - 08:40 PM.

[Beaksauce]

Good Luck. I'm on day 10. I hope it works for both of us. It seems to be working for me so far.

[Kittyx3]

Good luck! I hope it works out for both of you

[darling_]

i'm SOOOO FRUSTRATED!

derm says i need to wait A WHOLE MONTH before i can get my prescription (i knew it was coming but for some reason thought since i was so prompt with my bloodwork and visiting a gyno it'd be okay. UGH. apparently not).

HOW DID YOU GIRLS DEAL WITH WAITING FOR ACCUTANE TO START?

this is going to be the longest month of my life!

there is NO WAY i am pregnant! ahhhhh. stupid.

my derm prescribed solodyn in the meantime to help, not sure if it's going to do anything since antibiotics just give me frequent yeast infections :/

i have my second derm appointment on feb 7th (one week before valentine's day). oh joy. i don't even feel like going on dates or looking for a bf while my acne is taking over my lifeee =[

Edited by darling_, 10 January 2012 - 05:45 PM.

[Quiescence]

Ohhhh i'm sorry love, thats so frustrating...in the UK it doesnt seem to be so hard to start, just sign a form saying you promise not to get preggers on the day and there's your prescription...

Keep your chin up it'll go in no time, maybe post some pre-tane pics in the meantime?

x x x

[darling_]

sorry loves, i have been AWOL because dealing with waiting for accutane literally SUCKED and coming back here seeing all you lovely people on it made me depressed but a month has FLOWN by guess work was keeping me busy, and i didn't even feel troubled about my skin half the time because i knew it would all be OVER IN A FEW MONTHS! (hopefully. here's praying. fingers crossed!)

some things of note!

dosage!
currently started february 9, 2012 on 20mg (2x) or 40 mg a day (5'6, 120-125 lbs)

skincare!
cleanse - aveeno ultra calming foaming cleanser
moisturize - (am) olay complete all day UV moisturizer spf 15 (pm) coconut oil!
body - cetaphil moisturizing cream / eucerin plus intensive repair enriched lotion (HEAVY DUTY STUFF)
lips - aquaphor / carmex

supplements!
vitamin b, calcium, vitamin c+e, milk thistle & liv32 (protects your liver), biotin and flaxseed oil.
yeah... i pop a lot of pills. hahaha

other things
i eat a pretty healthy diet
i don't drink ever i hate the taste of alcohol and beer in general =[
i work out lightly at the gym 4-5x a week (45 mins cardio)
i work 10 hour days. yay me...!

hope things go well and it's a smooth 6 months! xxx

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Edited by darling_, 26 February 2012 - 10:02 PM.

[darling_]

​day 4:

nothing too much of note. no real changes, i woke up today with lips drier than normal i guess, but nothing that made me keel over and reach for my lipbalm! here's praying to not too crazy side effects, although at the same time i'm constantly looking for them. IS THAT WEIRD? lol

the second day i woke up and felt really dizzy as soon as i got up, had to lie down for 5 mins before i could get up again, but it was really brief and went away soon as it came. not sure if accutane-related.

skin-wise, i've been taking prednisone for the last few days, my derm gave me a 5-day supply in attempts to evade the IB... i've been getting lots of little whiteheads which is strange, maybe my pores are purging or something? i usually get deep cystic acne! but all the prednisone seems to be doing is making me REALLY hungry, i swear to god, i eat like fifteen times a day.

yesterday had fish tacos are a mexican restaurant with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, the works! delish xx

my skin seems OILER when i wake up, which is strange! even my makeup the last few days has been more slippery than normal, so not sure what's going on... has this happened to anyone else?

anyways, not much else to report! just gotta keep swimming til the end! (180 days! oh man)

been reading the hunger games again. can't wait for the movie to come out march 25th!... hope i have clearer skin by then, although it will only have been barely almost the 2 month mark, where i hear most people don't see progress til after months 3-4!

[LaChesis]

Hey!

One week down already, It'll be over before we know it (ok, maybe not that fast, but you know what I mean )

Keep us updated and I hope you're doing well!

[darling_]

Hey!

One week down already, It'll be over before we know it (ok, maybe not that fast, but you know what I mean )

Keep us updated and I hope you're doing well!

hehe thanks! how are things with you accutane buddy?! i'm wondering if my derm is going to up my dose next month since i heard you're supposed to have 1mg/kg for maximum effectiveness. thoughts? not sure if i've been seeing much progress on 40mgs, but at the same time upping my dosage and maybe seeing more severe side effects scares me!

day 7:

woo a week down! another 23 weeks to go! LOL seems soooo long, i really cannot envision myself without acne for some reason, i've had it for so long!

SKINWISE: my face has been producing freaking craploads of oil. i really can't figure out why-- at first i thought it was just my normal production of oil, but even my forehead which never gets oily (the only place where i don't get acne, the place my bangs cover, go figure) gets oily now... apparently my skin is purging? i've noticed a lot of whiteheads on the right side of my cheek, i keep POPPING THEM UGH must resist the temptation. i'm a TERRIBLE picker, which sucks, since i'm asian and pale and hyper-pigmentation shows incredibly easily on me.

definitely noticed the drier lips this evening, forgot my aquaphor for like only an hour before i went to the gym today and my lips were SO CHAPPED! think the reason i haven't noticed them being chapped is because i OBSESSIVELY apply aquaphor or carmex every hour at work haha (mostly to keep myself awake)

ONTO OTHER NEWS! i've been bitten by the LINSANITY bug even though i'm not even a basketball OR knicks fan. probably because i'm asian and live in new york city, but oh man, he is freaking INSANEEEEEEEE! if you guys aren't basketball fans, he's the latest american hero in basketball, a 24-year-old harvard grad who's currently dominating the basketball world. even kobe bows down to him, haha!

Edited by darling_, 15 February 2012 - 08:47 PM.

[LaChesis]

Hey!

One week down already, It'll be over before we know it (ok, maybe not that fast, but you know what I mean )

Keep us updated and I hope you're doing well!

hehe thanks! how are things with you accutane buddy?! i'm wondering if my derm is going to up my dose next month since i heard you're supposed to have 1mg/kg for maximum effectiveness. thoughts? not sure if i've been seeing much progress on 40mgs, but at the same time upping my dosage and maybe seeing more severe side effects scares me!

day 7:

woo a week down! another 23 weeks to go! LOL seems soooo long, i really cannot envision myself without acne for some reason, i've had it for so long!

SKINWISE: my face has been producing freaking craploads of oil. i really can't figure out why-- at first i thought it was just my normal production of oil, but even my forehead which never gets oily (the only place where i don't get acne, the place my bangs cover, go figure) gets oily now... apparently my skin is purging? i've noticed a lot of whiteheads on the right side of my cheek, i keep POPPING THEM UGH must resist the temptation. i'm a TERRIBLE picker, which sucks, since i'm asian and pale and hyper-pigmentation shows incredibly easily on me.

definitely noticed the drier lips this evening, forgot my aquaphor for like only an hour before i went to the gym today and my lips were SO CHAPPED! think the reason i haven't noticed them being chapped is because i OBSESSIVELY apply aquaphor or carmex every hour at work haha (mostly to keep myself awake)

ONTO OTHER NEWS! i've been bitten by the LINSANITY bug even though i'm not even a basketball OR knicks fan. probably because i'm asian and live in new york city, but oh man, he is freaking INSANEEEEEEEE! if you guys aren't basketball fans, he's the latest american hero in basketball, a 24-year-old harvard grad who's currently dominating the basketball world. even kobe bows down to him, haha!

Hey! Things are going really well, thank you for asking

I can't really comment on the dosage (it's up to your derm). But I can tell you that I was on 40mg for 5 months the first time (So I never really got the 1mg/kg thingy) and mind you that I weight around 160. It worked really well. I was 100% clear for like 3 years and I would only get the very occasional pimple. I'm back on it again because I started getting pimples a little more frequently and I don't want to risk it getting worse that's all. So yeah, I think the 1mg/kg thing is overrated, you just have to make sure to take at least 20 or 40mg until you're clear and it'll be just fine.

Oh and finally, off course you're not seeing results right now, it has nothing to do with your dosage. The first month is usually worse, it's called the initial break out and accutane pushes out all the pimples to the surface. Some people only start seeing results in the third month. I think you're doing just fine right now, stick to it and I promise you'll clear up All you need is patience and a good attitude!

[darling_]

Hey! Things are going really well, thank you for asking

I can't really comment on the dosage (it's up to your derm). But I can tell you that I was on 40mg for 5 months the first time (So I never really got the 1mg/kg thingy) and mind you that I weight around 160. It worked really well. I was 100% clear for like 3 years and I would only get the very occasional pimple. I'm back on it again because I started getting pimples a little more frequently and I don't want to risk it getting worse that's all. So yeah, I think the 1mg/kg thing is overrated, you just have to make sure to take at least 20 or 40mg until you're clear and it'll be just fine.

Oh and finally, off course you're not seeing results right now, it has nothing to do with your dosage. The first month is usually worse, it's called the initial break out and accutane pushes out all the pimples to the surface. Some people only start seeing results in the third month. I think you're doing just fine right now, stick to it and I promise you'll clear up All you need is patience and a good attitude!

aw thanks, this was really motivational!!! how long did it take you to clear the first time around (how many months into accutane, approx?) i'm glad there is light at the end of this LONG tunnel! but sometimes i'm really happy i'm just on accutane at all, to know that there IS a solution... using the endless topicals and antibiotics without knowing if they'd work or not was the most frustrating thing!

day 11:

THE IB IS HERE! it actually started a few days ago and i feel like every single pore on my face has a whitehead now. LOVELY.

i'm actually kind of happy in a sick way because it means all my pores are purging and after this i will have laaahvley non comedoneic skin (!!!) and also, thank god for the long weekend.

i ALSO have cold sores ALL OVER MY DRY LIPS it's kind of gross / weird... i'm already prone to cold sores and now i have like 5+ of them on my lips, ew. i'm going to go pick up some l-lysine later to supplement and maybe eat more lysine-rich foods.

lastly i think i'm siiiiick =[ i have a sore throat and my head hurts, i think mostly because i was so tired out last week. my mouth feels SO DRY! does accutane also lower your immune system? hmm... i've been taking tylenol, hope that's ok. i am now slightly paranoid of what foods have vitamin A, what medications i should not be taking in conjunction... gah!

Edited by darling_, 19 February 2012 - 07:42 AM.

[LaChesis]

Hey! Things are going really well, thank you for asking

I can't really comment on the dosage (it's up to your derm). But I can tell you that I was on 40mg for 5 months the first time (So I never really got the 1mg/kg thingy) and mind you that I weight around 160. It worked really well. I was 100% clear for like 3 years and I would only get the very occasional pimple. I'm back on it again because I started getting pimples a little more frequently and I don't want to risk it getting worse that's all. So yeah, I think the 1mg/kg thing is overrated, you just have to make sure to take at least 20 or 40mg until you're clear and it'll be just fine.

Oh and finally, off course you're not seeing results right now, it has nothing to do with your dosage. The first month is usually worse, it's called the initial break out and accutane pushes out all the pimples to the surface. Some people only start seeing results in the third month. I think you're doing just fine right now, stick to it and I promise you'll clear up All you need is patience and a good attitude!

aw thanks, this was really motivational!!! how long did it take you to clear the first time around (how many months into accutane, approx?) i'm glad there is light at the end of this LONG tunnel! but sometimes i'm really happy i'm just on accutane at all, to know that there IS a solution... using the endless topicals and antibiotics without knowing if they'd work or not was the most frustrating thing!

day 11:

THE IB IS HERE! it actually started a few days ago and i feel like every single pore on my face has a whitehead now. LOVELY.

i'm actually kind of happy in a sick way because it means all my pores are purging and after this i will have laaahvley non comedoneic skin (!!!) and also, thank god for the long weekend.

i ALSO have cold sores ALL OVER MY DRY LIPS it's kind of gross / weird... i'm already prone to cold sores and now i have like 5+ of them on my lips, ew. i'm going to go pick up some l-lysine later to supplement and maybe eat more lysine-rich foods.

lastly i think i'm siiiiick =[ i have a sore throat and my head hurts, i think mostly because i was so tired out last week. my mouth feels SO DRY! does accutane also lower your immune system? hmm... i've been taking tylenol, hope that's ok. i am now slightly paranoid of what foods have vitamin A, what medications i should not be taking in conjunction... gah!

Haha I feel your pain with the topicals and not knowing if they'll work. This was so depressing and personally, they never really worked in the long run. I remember the first time I took accutane, I went to my derm appointment and he tried to prescribe me a new shitty cream that I knew wasn't gonna work. I looked at him in the eyes and said ''No more, accutane please.'' and he just went like ''oh.. well alright that might be a good idea''. That's when I realised that my derm was pretty much clueless and that you had to ask for what you wanted or he'd make sure to prescribe you shit that didn't work forever.

To answer your question, I have to say it's hard to remember because it was like 3-4 years ago. But as far as I remember I started seeing results the second month and the third month is when the biggest improvements really took place. Then the fourth and fifth months were really just smooth sailing. I'm not gonna lie, the first and second months were pretty shitty at times, but you just have to try and stay positive. Like I said, every pimple you get is just your skin purging. It had to come out eventually, so better now than later!

[darling_]

^ Hehe, thanks for your reply. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE THIRD - FOURTH MONTHS! AHHHH

week 2, day 14:

- FREAKING FLAKES! especially around the nose and on existing acne spots. ugh, does anyone know how to solve this? went out and bought foundation for drier skin, i don't think that's ever happened in my life. got MUFE for face + body since it's more liquidy than what i was using before. not helping :/ i have a clarisonic mia, but i'm scared to use it since i feel like it will rip my skin now it's so sensitive!!!

- still sick. i wake up with a REALLY DRY MOUTH everyday... is this a side effect or just from being sick?

- kinda insomniac... couldn't fall asleep until 1am last night for some reason (okay, i've been watching accutane video logs from people on youtube. it's so amazing seeing the transformation in months 2-3-4. i can't wait til i hit those months!)

- really loving using pure 100% virgin cold pressed coconut oil with philosophy vitamin c booster powder as my nighttime moisturizer. vitamin c is supposed to make skin more even toned, radiant, etc. my skin is feeling really really sensitive/delicate lately.. i used a scrub the other night (oops) and my face was slightly painful to the touch the other night. this is coming from someone who used to slather on 20-30% TCA peels with no pain...

- i feel kinda hungry all the time. not sure why. i'm also trying to lose a few lbs at the moment since i've gained since i started working (used to be around 115, now i'm up at 125) so it's kinda annoying :/

- got my blood drawn today, derm appt next weds! xx i started on my second box of claravis today, wow!

- oh yah, my skin. still breaking out, still IBing. things seem to come to head immediately or scabbing over into dark spots, kinda weird!!! but good i suppose, just REALLY ANNOYING not being able to pop them! i actually woke up with my skin looking kinda glowy lately, or after my shower at night (despite being covered in acne and scarring), so it made me kinda happy! not sure if it's the vitamin c or accutane, but i'm glad! =) =)

Edited by darling_, 22 February 2012 - 10:58 AM.

[darling_]

day 18: ughhh, definitely purging. i shouldn't look at my old pics. my skin used to BARELY HAVE ANY ACNE and i thought my skin was awful. this is definitely the worst my skin has been in, ever. in my entire life.

i wonder if it's the coconut oil i've been using as a nightly moisturizer? :/ i'm going to switch to cetaphil tomorrow... i'm really scared of scarring - ahhh help guys. feeling kind of down at the moment ;( here i thought my skin was getting better til i looked at old pictures! why does it feel like i'm all the way back at square one?

i know it's going to take another 2-3 months before i see any progress but i feel like i've been popping pills for days and days and nothing's happeninggg

had a sore back on friday, probably due to sitting long hours at work back to the grind tomorrow...

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Edited by darling_, 26 February 2012 - 10:00 PM.

[chaitz85]

Everything u r goining thru is perfectly normal.. jst hang in there and leave your skin alone.. jst take the meds and maintain ur daily skin care.. the first 2 months are the most difficult ones.. believe me..

U will gt there soon where you will b able to look at skin and go.. WOW..

All the best!!!! Keep us posted...

[darling_]

Everything u r goining thru is perfectly normal.. jst hang in there and leave your skin alone.. jst take the meds and maintain ur daily skin care.. the first 2 months are the most difficult ones.. believe me..

U will gt there soon where you will b able to look at skin and go.. WOW..

All the best!!!! Keep us posted...

thank you so much! this really gives me hope i can't wait until that day! i really need to learn to leave my skin alone haha!

day 20 / start of week 4 (tomorrow):

- had a derm appointment today! he said my acne was really inflammatory (
- bloodwork was all fine for now! knock on wood
- dosage upped to 60 mg a day for the next two weeks, he said to start taking it right away... even though my first month on 40 mg isn't up yet
- also added 10 mg of prednisone for the next two weeks
- another appointment in 2 weeks...

- skin feels about the same :/ still breaking out everywhere. thank god for concealer, lemme just say...
- also new love for cerave pm. my new HG night cream! cetaphil made me feel so greasy and unhygenic dipping my fingers into that huge jar everytime...

Edited by darling_, 29 February 2012 - 02:04 PM.

[chaitz85]

Thats nice.. prednisone is to control ur brkouts.. thts nice.. concealer is such a life saver but try to go a few days without it IF possible.. i know how difficult that is.. cant wait to see ur pictures with major improvements !

[darling_]

Thats nice.. prednisone is to control ur brkouts.. thts nice.. concealer is such a life saver but try to go a few days without it IF possible.. i know how difficult that is.. cant wait to see ur pictures with major improvements !

thanks hun

day 25:

- ughhh gross skin IB SUCKS! i have actives ALL ALONG my jawline up my left cheek and it's like literally painful to touch my left cheek and you can see HUGE lumps under my skin that are kinda purpleish. this is the worst my skin has been in a long time... when does IB end?! i'm even on prenisone and it's not helping!

- does anyone else find accutane pill packets RIDICULOUSLY hard to open?!? wtf, it takes me like 5 mins to get one pill out of there and then i break a nail in the process

- i wish i could fastfoward the next 5 months... you know that feeling you get when you see a really cute shirt and you're like omg, that would look SO GOOD ON me... if only i didn't have acne

- on the upside, the only major side effects (cross your fingers) i've had are dry skin/lips/eyes (a little irritating) and i've noticed my hair drying out as well (although i wash my hair everyday, i think it's more of a mental thing because i feel dirty going to bed without washing my hair) bought some hot oil treatments and deep conditioners today

Edited by darling_, 04 March 2012 - 07:18 PM.

[danaxbee]

I just started my course a few days ago and can totally identify with how horrible it was to wait to get your prescription. This has been one of the hardest months of my life.

[darling_]

day 36 / week 6:

hello all! UPDATE! wow it's been a MONTH! ughhh why do i feel like my skin is improving so slowly.

had a derm appointment on tuesday... kinda not fun because my derm was showing a new nurse practicioner around and called my acne "severe cystic acne" -_- then they poked and prodded my face a bit and gave me some coritsone shots on my HUGE interconnected cysts under my skin... i'm really scared those will leave like huge gaps in my skin gahhh!

i can tell my skin is a bit better by the texture, although i have a lot of red blotchiness and scarring on my cheeks =/ i've been using a vitamin C serum in the mornings... is this not advisable with accutane? i just want to lessen the hyperpigmentation that i'm getting with my IB....

side effects of late
- nose seemed a bit more oily than normal (it's usually bone dry) this morning. is the oil coming back??? has that happened to anyone?? i got upped to 60 mg two weeks ago
- REALLY EXHAUSTED after work............ i'm so tired all the time! :/
- neck is kinda score
- insomnia, a bit (probably causing my exhaustion)

lips actually are not bothering me as much, although they LOOK really dry and parched!!!!! bah. i wanna fastfoward to 6 months from nowww!!!!!!!!!!!!